Never Leave Me
by Jedi-JEB
Summary: Siri Tachi gets a second chance. Warning: Spoilers for "Secrets of the Jedi".
1. Awakening

Title: Never Leave Me

Rating: PG

Authors: Jedi-JEB (Jennifer and Bethany)

Disclaimer: We do not own Siri Tachi who belongs to Jude Watson, or Obi-Wan Kenobi, who belongs to George Lucas. All other characters are creations of the authors and should not be used without permission.

Author's Note: This is set after "Secrets of the Jedi", which means that there are spoilers in this story.

The light in the hut was dim. The sun had not set yet but the hut was shut off from all natural light for a purpose. One change in the atmosphere and everything could go wrong. The only light was coming from the candles that were put in a circle around a table.

Chanting was coming from the group of people circled around the table as well, wearing robes and holding candles. The chanting was of an ancient spell and the sound became sharper as a light emanated from the table. On it was a woman. She was dead. Her long blonde hair draped over her shoulders. Every inch of her naked body was covered in ceremonial oil, which enforced the glowing light that was coming to her. Her pale skin now glowed as her body lifted a few centimeters off the table as she took in a deep breath, gasping. Life had returned to the woman and she opened her eyes. They were a dark green and as she took another breath they glowed and shifted dramatically to a deep blue. Siri Tachi was back

Siri's eyes were wide and she seemed to gasp for air. She didn't know where she was or what was going on. She was shaking as she looked around at a crowd surrounding her. She could not see at first, things looking blurry. One moment she had been with Obi-Wan and then she was gone. She should be dead. She felt as if she could still feel her hand against his cheek, or perhaps that was from her warming crystal. She could still see Obi-Wan beside her, clearly upset, even though she had tried to joke about death. She had done it to try and help him with the pain she knew he would feel.

"The transformation is complete." A man spoke and the group of people pulled back their hoods. Now their faces could be seen in the dim candlelight.

One of these figures, a woman with graying hair and dark eyes, approached the blonde haired, wide eyed woman "Siri?" The older woman asked.

Still panting slightly, Siri just gave a small nod. Her heart was throbbing painfully, as if it was being crushed, but already the pressure was lessening. Not only that, but her lungs were burning as if she had run for miles. Her entire body felt chilled, her teeth almost chattering.

"You are Siri Tachi?" the woman questioned again. They had to be sure that everything had been done properly and that this truly was Siri Tachi.

Siri answered with a nod again. She wanted to ask what was going on, and wanted to sit up, but she felt as if all of her was being held by lead weights

The older woman smiled. "Welcome back." Siri felt a piece of cloth being draped over her, covering her nakedness. Until that had happened, she had not even noticed that she had no clothes on, since she had been unable to lift her head to see. Once it was covering her, she felt herself being picked up. "Take her to be bathed. I will join her short." The woman said.

Siri looked at the woman again and mouthed a name. Grandmother. She knew this woman. How had she gotten to Corellia though? She had been Azure with Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padme and Taly. What had happened to them? What had happened to the Codebreaker and Magus? These questions ran through her mind and she tried to focus on what was going on, hoping some of her questions would be answered.

The woman smiled and nodded as Siri was carried out of the hut and out into the streets of her tribe. It only took one man to lift her, but a few others were trailing after them. The sun assaulted her, forcing her to close her eyes as she was taken to another hut. In this hut, there was a bath tub. The man who carried her left and a few women stepped in, carrying oils and shampoos. They slowly lowered her into the warm water and started cleaning her.

Siri had never gotten used to being touched like this, and wanted to volunteer to wash herself. However, she found it difficult to move, as if she had not used her muscles in a long time. "What is going on?" she asked the women. Her voice was quiet, as if unable to speak loudly and it did not sound like hers. She was certain that she was going to die. She had, hadn't she? Her mind went back to what she last remembered. _For Star's sake, Obi-Wan, I'm dying._ She knew she had been dying. Everything had become gray, and she tried to hold on but the Force was calling to her. As if to just release herself into it. She knew her death was coming and she could remember that her last image was of Obi-Wan looking at her, holding her most prized possession, her deep blue warming crystal with the star in it. She had said that she would not leave him. Had, by some miracle, that occurred? Was she truly alive? Did that mean that Obi-Wan as here as well?

"It's alright. Shh..." One woman cooed her. "You are safe now."

Siri shook her head. "What is going on? How did I get here?" Her voice was a bit stronger, but still sounded strange, having more of a Corellian accent than usual.

"You will soon find out." The woman said as they washed Siri's hair and every part of her body with wonderful smelling aromas.

While Siri knew she should relax and let them, her mind was racing, unable to figure out what was going on. She wasn't dead. Was she?

After giving her a bath, they dried her hair then combed it and she noted that it seemed longer than she remembered it being, at least by a few inches. After drying off the rest of her, the women helped her dress into a beautiful tribal dress with sandals. Her hair was then fixed in braids and tiny flowers all in it. She did not see the full effect, but was certain it probably was impressive.

Once she was done, Siri took a few steps without support from the women. While she still felt shaky, she was able to move a little on her own. She also felt much better, especially after the bath.

"You look wonderful." One of the women said. She looked familiar, but Siri could not remember her name at the moment.

"It feels nice," Siri answered. She could not see herself, but she could at least feel it. She was not too concerned with her looks though, they had never mattered to her before. All she truly wanted at that moment was to get her questions answered.

The door opened to the hut and the older woman, the one Siri called grandmother, stepped in. "Siri, you look wonderful." She smiled and motioned for the other women to leave, which they did. "I'm sure you have many questions. I am here to answer them."

"What is going on?" she asked immediately.

"That is a complicated answer."

"I just want to know how did I get here? And why am I not dead?"

"When you came here for the first time you went through a ceremony. During that time, one of our holy warriors studied you through what you call the Force, and discovered something about your fate. He saw you were going to die. Of course you know of the prophecy here that foretells of you being our deliverer from these troubled times, we could not allow you to die. However, your attempted sacrifice showed us that we would have to take extra steps to ensure your survival. So we used an ancient spell that had not been used in ages. We put it on you so that when it came time for your death you would not die, but be transformed into another body, one that was given to you in sacrifice. We knew when you would die and we counted the days. We found a suitable woman and brought her here. She died and now, you live."

Siri just stared at her for a moment, in shock. She once again found that her knees felt weak, but for a different reason. "What?" she managed, trying to understand this. She had truly died and was brought back to life? That was impossible. She had died. She had felt her heart stop.

"We have brought you from the brink of death. Now, our prophecy has been fulfilled. You are alive, Siri Tachi."

Siri shook her head. "No...no, this isn't true," she protested. She could not have been brought back to life, and not in someone else's body.

"It is. Why deny it? Embrace it. You are alive and can go back to the Jedi and live your life."

"I can't be alive, I died. And I can not be alive in someone else's body."

"You did. And you are."

Siri shook her head, not being able to take all of this in at once. 

"I know this must be hard and you can have all the time you want to get used to this."

"I just want to be home," she admitted. While her relationship with Obi-Wan was confusing, at least she knew that she belonged with the Jedi, in the Temple.

"You may leave once you are better."

"I have to tell Obi-Wan. He will wonder where I have gone," she was starting to ramble, unable to believe all they had told her. Had the mission all been a nightmare? No, it had been too real.

"Would you like to see yourself?"

Siri paused then nodded. After all, they had to be wrong. She could not be in another person's body. While she trusted her tribe now, especially her grandmother, who was actually her grandmother's sister, she could not believe that what she was told was true.

The older woman led Siri to a wall and took down a drape revealing a full length mirror.

Siri just stood there in shock, and then her mouth dropped open. That could not be her. This woman had her blue eyes, but all the rest of her features were different. She was about the size Siri was, but all of her features were different. Her hair was longer than it used to be, and darker in color. Her skin was slightly pale and her facial features were different. "Oh Force..." she muttered and moved one hand, seeing the stranger doing the same in response. Siri did this a few times, using both hands. Nothing was making sense, and only her eyes showed that this stranger was truly her. Slowly, she sunk to her knees, trying to remain calm and allow herself to believe all of this. Her mind was racing and she felt somewhat sick.

The woman came to Siri and hugged her. "It's alright."

"I...I don't believe this." This meant that she had truly died, and that she had been brought back to life in someone else's body. 

"I know it's hard, but it's the truth and we are so glad you are back. And soon, you will get to go home. Things will be normal again. You have been given a second chance."

Siri nodded slowly still looking at the mirror, but then turned to her. "Do they know?" she asked, referring to the other Jedi, especially Obi-Wan.

"No. They know nothing."

"I have to contact them. They should know." If all of this was true, they thought she was dead. That she was one with the Force now.

"You must take your time. First, we must help you regain your strength, then you may leave."

"But I have to contact them, you don't understand." She couldn't let them believe she was dead if she was truly alive, even if it was in someone else's body.

"I do understand, but our com system is down. There is nothing we can do."

"Can anyone else send a message?"

"We cannot get receive or send any from the tribe. I am sorry."

Siri nodded, then turned back to look at the stranger in the mirror. She reached one hand out and touched the cool surface, and it seemed as if the stranger was doing the same, the two hands looked like they were touching. "Who was she?" she asked quietly as she put her other hand to the mirror so it was almost as if there was a circle between herself and the reflection.

"A woman who killed herself with drugs."

"Why would she do that? She looks so young."

"Her husband left her."

"That is so sad," Siri whispered. She knew how much love hurt, and she knew that even after years, it never went away. She had hidden her pain from others, but after twenty years, the heartache remained, only until they both admitted their true feelings to one another did the pain disappear.

She nodded. "But you are giving her life now."

"So am I Siri, or this woman?" she asked, uncertain if she wanted to know the answer. She had to go back to the Jedi, she had to be Siri still, if not in body, at least in mind and spirit.

"You are Siri Tachi."

"Okay," she nodded, relieved, in a way. She looked back at the reflection, the stranger who had killed herself over love. It was like a full circle. She died after finding love, just to be brought back into the body of a woman who had died after losing love. "So what now?" she asked. She was already tired, and knew it must have been the result of the spell.

"You should get rest. Perhaps eat something. For the next few weeks you will be building your strength through training."

"Training...as a Jedi?" she asked, hoping she would say yes. The Jedi had been her life. As she had told Obi-Wan, she could not imagine not being a Jedi, and being brought back like this, she did not know if she did not have that life.

"Like a Jedi." Her grandmother corrected her. "But not as. You have already been trained as a Jedi. Soon your midi-chlorian count will return and you will have even more midichlorians then you had before."

"How is that possible?" Siri knew that people could lose the number of midi-chlorians in their body, but she did not know how the number could increase.

"We will give you them."

"You can control midi-chlorians?" The though was almost frightening. However, the Force was strong with this tribe, and she trusted that if her count was supposed to rise, it would.

"By giving you blood, yes."

"Blood? From who?"

"Ones here who are strong in the force."

"Was this woman strong in the Force?" She was curious about this woman and her past, but had a feeling it would be better if she did not know. If she did, she had a feeling she would never be able to look in a mirror again.

"Yes. But not strong enough."

"You aren't going to be killing anyone else for the blood, will you?" While she knew this woman had taken her own life, she knew that she could not stand for anyone else to die, even if that meant her midi-chlorian count would not increase.

"No, of course not. We are not monsters."

"I just..." she trailed off thinking of when they wanted to sacrifice her, and how they had almost succeeded.

"What?" the older woman asked, seeing that Siri seemed lost in thought.

"I was thinking about when I was first here," she admitted.

"I am sorry for that. You were going to be brought back though."

"You mean if I was sacrificed?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"No one told me that was a part of the prophecy." She was happy how things had turned out though. She had found this tribe, her family in a way, from a mission just four months before.

"Are you hungry?" her grandmother spoke up, changing the subject.

Siri nodded, coming back to the present. "A little."

The woman smiled and led Siri to a table which was filled with fruits and vegetables. "Help yourself."

Siri found a piece of juma fruit and took a bite. It tasted strange, yet familiar at the same time. The juice tasted sweet and she closed her eyes to savor it. Then she felt just how empty her stomach was and she started it eat faster, hungry.

"There is a bed over there." Her grandmother motioned to a bed in the corner. "Get some sleep."

"And then what?" Siri asked her. She still felt very out of control of her body, not feeling the Force like she used to.

"Then we will see how you feel."

"How long will I be training?" she asked. While she was thankful for everything they had done, she wanted to get on with her life. She had a second chance, and with the war going on, she was never certain of what would happen next.

"As long as you wish."

"I want to go back to the Temple soon. Do they know about this ceremony?" she asked. They did not know it had been performed, but it was possible that the Jedi knew that in some cases, a Jedi could be brought back from death.

"The Jedi?"

"Yes."

"No, of course not."

"Then they think I am dead?" She wondered how Obi-Wan was handling this, certain that the others would be alright. She had become friends with Bant and Garen through Obi-Wan, and was certain they would be alright. She was sure even Master Adi would be alright. It was Obi-Wan she was worried about.

"Yes."

"I have to get back soon then," she said.

"Their reaction might not be the best."

"They won't take me back?" she asked. The thought had not occurred to her until now.

"I'm sure they will, but at first their reaction might not be good."

"Then why bring me back?" she asked. She was growing frustrated, not having any clear answers. What if she was brought back only to be rejected by the Jedi?

"Because they need you. We need you. You have fulfilled our prophecy."

"What does the prophecy say will happen next?"

"Our tribe will prosper now. Our crops will return and the storms will clear. We will have peace. It is because of you."

"Then what happens next?" Siri asked. The prophecy reminded her of how the Chosen One would bring balance to the Force and she wondered if the Chosen One would have to go through such a trial, like death, to fulfill it.

"With?"

"The tribe? Me?"

"We will have to see what happens."

Siri nodded, finishing another piece of fruit. Her hands were sticky and she wiped them on a nearby cloth. Now that she had eaten, she was finding herself even more tired now, and made her way over to the bed.

"Good night Siri." Her grandmother smiled at her before exiting the hut. Once there, she would make sure that no one would disturb Siri so that she could rest. The cloth in front of the door would help keep out the sunlight as well, since her eyes would be sensitive for awhile.

Siri murmured a response before sleep overtook her. Even with all the questions in her mind, she found the sheets and blankets very soft. They were also warm reminding her again of her warming stone, which Master Adi had given to her on her thirteenth birthday. Until she had traded it for food, she had never been without it. She slid further under the blankets and was soon sleeping much better than she had in a long time.


	2. The Tribe

Title: Never Leave Me

Rating: PG

Authors: Jedi-JEB (Jennifer and Bethany)

Disclaimer: We do not own Siri Tachi who belongs to Jude Watson, or Obi-Wan Kenobi, who belongs to George Lucas. All other characters are creations of the authors and should not be used without permission.

Author's Note: This is set after "Secrets of the Jedi", which means that there are spoilers in this story.

**_Four months earlier_…..**

Corellia looked unchanged, even with a war going on. It was a nice change from Coruscant and the war zones that Siri had been in. She was there to help work out a treaty between the militia and a native tribe there. The militia had already accepted the proposed plan, so now Siri just had to get the tribe to agree to it. While they were in the forest, Siri found the tribe without too much trouble. She had been given coordinates and through the Force, she had been able to sense the grouping of the humans. She pushed back another branch to step through into an opening. Up ahead she could see a slight opening in the trees. She had a feeling that was where the tribe was, since they would need sunlight. She went through a small path between trees and paused, just on the outskirts of the tribe's village.

Siri heard the rush of water and then heard two women speaking in a language that was foreign to her. As she came closer, she gained sight of them and saw they were washing clothes in the rivers, talking and laughing. She wanted to talk to them, but without startling them too much, uncertain what they thought of outsiders. She came a bit closer and held out a hand as a sign of peace and to get their attention.

The women quickly stood at the sight of Siri. Both had blonde hair, similar to Siri's, but their skin was a bit darker. They looked alarmed at her presence.

Siri kept her distance, knowing that while she was not good at being a diplomat, she was still a Jedi. "I am Siri Tachi, Jedi Knight, sent by the Republic and the Jedi Council," she introduced herself.

One woman spoke to her in a language that Siri did not recognize.

Siri shook her head. "I do not understand," she answered, shrugging to convey that thought, in case they did not know Basic.

The other woman pointed to Siri's clothes, made a comment and both women laughed. The second woman then started talking and making gestures that the other woman found hilarious.

Well, at least they are not afraid of me, Siri thought. She came a bit closer, wondering what was being said. "Do either of your speak Basic?" she asked. She slowed her words slightly, not because she doubted their intelligence, but not knowing if they had much practice with Basic.

One woman looked at her closer and smiled and nodded. "Yes, yes."

Siri let out a sigh of relief. That was a good thing. Negotiations were hard if she could not communicate with them. "May I have a word with you?

"Yes, yes." She nodded a picked up a basket. "Bas- kit." She pointed to it and it became clear to Siri she did not understand and had mistaken Basic for basket. However, she knew one word, which meant it was very possible she knew someone who did speak Basic.

Siri shook her head, holding back a sigh. "Basic. Speech," she said, motioning with her hand to throat, hoping it would convey what she was trying to say.

The other woman spoke shakily. "We not speak Basic." While she had a thick accent Siri was able to understand her.

"Does someone in your tribe speak Basic?" she asked.

They nodded and motioned for her to follow them. Siri was let down a slender path, through the woods and into the middle of a village. It seemed to appear out of nowhere, which was surprising since it was fairly large.

Siri looked around and saw many humans moving around. People going about their daily chores while children played with one another. A group of children were playing nearby the path that Siri and the others were walking on, but when they saw the Jedi, they stopped and watched.

The two women led Siri to a larger hut in the middle of the tribe where other members stood, discussing issues in the language that Siri could not understand. It was obvious to her that these were the people who lead the tribe.

Siri waited until there was a lull in conversation, not wanting to interrupt since it would be seen at rude. "Greetings," she gave a small bow. "I am Jedi Knight, Siri Tachi."

They paused and looked at Siri. One man stepped forward. "A Jedi?"

She gave a nod. "I have come to speak to the leaders of your tribe."

"I am one. Jyordin."

Siri gave another bow, this time directly to him. "I would like to discuss matters with you. Ones concerning the nearby militia."

"What did you say your name was?" A woman asked. She was an older woman with hair that was turning gray, yet she still looked to be in very good health.

"Siri Tachi," she replied.

The woman shared a glance with Jyordin. "Please, go on."

"I know you will declare war if the militia enters your territory, and that other tribes will join you due to your alliances on your planet. I want to work out a peace treaty between you and the government," Siri explained.

"What kind of treaty?" He asked, cautiously.

"They will still be stationed some of your land, but it will be further from your village," she explained, hoping that they would agree to it, or to at least listen.

"This is our land. We will not give it up."

"It is a compromise," Siri pointed out.

"I will not compromise the land we have lived on for thousands of years." It was clear this man did not want to give up even an inch of their land.

"It is not as big an expansion as you think. If you please, I would like to discuss this with you, and show you what it would be if the treaty passed."

"How much of our land would be lost?" The woman from before asked.

"If you please, I can show you some maps." There was an exact amount, but she did not know if they measured things in the same way.

Jyordin was about to speak, but was cut off by the woman. "We will look at them."

"Then may I ask your name?" she questioned, a bit surprised by how outspoken this woman was. The Jedi Council never seemed to have that problem.

"I am Aliri. One of the elders here in the tribe."

"Well, I would like to have a meeting with all of the elders of your tribe to discuss this."

Aliri nodded and motioned to one of the men to go get the others.

Siri gave a small smile, glad to see that they were going to cooperate. At least they would listen to what she had to say. Now she would just have to convince them that this was for the best.

"You are a Jedi?" Aliri asked as the tribal members present started to talk amongst themselves again in their native language.

Siri gave a nod. "Yes."

"Who was your mother?"

"My mother?" she repeated with a small frown. Why were they asking about her mother? While her family was from Corellia, her family had been dead for many years.

"What is her name?"

"My mother has passed away, as has my father and sister," she told him calmly, though she never liked to talk about it. She had seen it happen and never liked to remember it if she could help it. She had nightmares of it as a child, but those had faded in time. She never told anyone about them though, even at a young age.

"I am sorry. What were their names?"

"Temol and Sabah Tachi were my parents," she answered.

"Do you know your grandmother's name?"

"I barely knew my parents," she answered, trying to sound calm about it. Why couldn't this woman just let the issue go?

"Please. Do you know?"

Siri shook her head. "If they told me I do not remember. I was a mere child." She did not remember much about her own parents, and she doubted she had even met her grandparents, if they had been alive when she was born.

Aliri nodded at this and smiled at Siri.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are my parents important to you?" She had been on many missions and never had they asked about her family. Some had asked about families as a Jedi, and once Siri explained that children were taken as children and the Order became their family, no further questions were asked.

"You remind me of someone."

"Who?" she asked. She wondered if it was possible that this woman had met her parents at some point in time.

"My sister."

"I am afraid I do not know her. While Corellian, I have not lived here in a long time." Siri could only remember her parents and sister, and only small things, like her mother's perfume and how her father would let her sit on his lap while he worked on things at his desk.

At that moment, the remaining Council members entered, now all were accounted for.

"I will only need a few minutes. I have everything with me," she had a bag slung over her shoulders and she shrugged it off, setting it on the ground. It was a survival pack, which, instead of the usual supplies, had only the bare minimum of essential items, and the added documents, maps and other aids needed for this treaty. Siri quickly got everything in order, her pack now discarded on the floor. "First, I want to show you a map of the land that you have claimed as yours." She started a holo and a map of the area appeared, the three-dimensional image spinning slowly so everyone could see it. "Is this accurate?"

"Claimed?" One man spoke up. "It is ours."

Aliri held her hand up to stop him from saying more, and nodded at Siri. "It is."

"And this area is where the militia is now." She motioned to a part of the map, which turned a shade of red. "That is correct?"

Aliri and a few others nodded.

Siri quickly saw that while they were all members of the Tribal Council, Aliri seemed to be in charge. "What we are discussing is this." She showed another map, this time part of the section of one of the outer areas was gone from their property. "The missing land would be what is taken by the militia," she explained. "However, everything else would be intact and they would be far enough away that you would most likely not see them or hear them."

One of the women looked this over. "It appears reasonable, but you must make sure that no more or our land is taken. The militia will not step one foot into our land or bother us in any way."

Siri nodded. "They have already signed an agreement if you would like to see it." She held out a copy of the regulations that would found in this treaty. The original with the signatures was still in her bag.

She took the treaty, read it and passed it to the other members. "You do understand that if these conditions are broken we will declare war."

"Yes. And you have to understand that if war was declared, your allied tribes would come to your aid and the war would grow. This would create problems between the beings of this planet, and Corellia is very important to the Republic."

"Then the Republic needs to make sure that the militia does not go back on its terms." One of the women remarked.

"We will make sure of that," Siri assured the entire group.

Aliri glanced at the others. "We need to discuss this."

"I do understand. Take as much time as needed. I shall leave these with you, and I can return whenever you would like me to." She started to leave the hut, but stopped as Aliri spoke.

"Siri, would you do us a favor?" Aliri asked.

"If it is within my powers to do so, yes." She had learned as a child to never agree to do something without knowing what that action was.

"Can we test your blood?"

"Test my blood?" she repeated. She had never been asked for this before. "For what?" This woman, Aliri, had many interesting questions and requests.

"We want to find out." One man held a small device out towards her.

"Find out what?" she asked. One hand looked to be resting at her side, but it tingled slightly, so she knew that if needed, her lightsaber would be in her hand and activated in less than a second. She was uncertain of what their rituals were, but did not recall hearing of hosts asking a guest for a blood sample.

"We will see." The man said. "Please."

Knowing it could help the mission by agreeing, she held out her hand, the other now resting on her lightsaber hilt. She had to be sure not to do anything though. She had always been told she was too impatient. She just never wanted to be caught off guard, even though she did not sense any malice from these people.

He pricked her finger, taking a drop of blood. He pressed a few buttons and then paused. "It's her." He announced.

"I knew it, she looks just like her." Aliri smiled.

"Like who?" Siri asked. While she was surprised to see they had technology like this, she was more interested at what they were looking for.

"She looks a bit different." Another man commented, holding a holo up of a woman, comparing her to Siri.

"They have the same eyes." Aliri said. "It's her. She has been brought back to us."

Siri turned to see this holo, wondering what they were talking about. "Brought back?" she asked. The woman in the holo looked a lot like her, but it was clear that it was not Siri.

"So now you want us to sign the treaty?" Aliri asked Siri

"It fits in with the prophecy, why should we not sign? We would be under her protection," one man spoke up

"Not hers, the Jedi." The council continued to argue, ignoring Siri.

"She is a Jedi." Aliri argued.

The arguing continued for a few more minutes until a man spoke up. "That's enough. Quiet." He turned to Siri. "Do you know who you are?"

"I am a Jedi Knight," she answered, simply. What else would she be? She had left out the fact that was a General as well, knowing they did not seem to like military beings.

"You are much more than that," one of the women answered. Now all ten of the Elders were looking at her closely, as if studying her.

"What am I then?" While she was curious, she had a feeling that what they were going to tell her would change things in her life.

"You are a part of our tribe."

"How is that possible?" she asked after a moment. She was uncertain how this would work. It was possible, but unlikely at the same time. She could not remember ever meeting a tribe as a child, but she had been very young.

"Decades ago, one of our own left us. We do not put pressure on staying in the tribe, our members are free to come and go as they please. She left and never returned. But she stayed in contact. She married and had a daughter. She named her daughter Sabah."

"Sabah?" She knew that was not a common name, and immediately her few memories of her mother came to mind. Her mother's smile and how she had always tucked Siri in at night.

"Your DNA matches your grandmother's," the man continued, pulling Siri away from her memories.

"My grandmother? Wait, you mean that child was my mother?" Was it possible that after all this time, she had family members? It made some sense, since she and the woman shared some facial features.

"Yes." Aliri nodded. "We believe so."

"That would be quite amazing," Siri admitted, unable to grasp the concept yet. To go from being an orphan who became a Jedi, who was not allowed to be attached to others, to now having a family once again.

"You look like her and your blood matches."

"And the blood tester is accurate?" Siri asked, though she knew there was no reason it should not.

"Yes." She nodded and stepped over to a table and pushed a button. The room darkened and inside the hut holograms of the DNA strands appeared comparing the grandmother's DNA to Siri's. It was too closely matched to be a coincidence. "As you can see yourself."

Siri was once again amazed at their technology. She had to wonder what other secrets they had hidden. Her attention was then brought to the DNA. It had to be true.

"You see it, don't you?"

"It is a surprise," she replied, nodding. She had no reason to doubt them, and now had proof that what they said was true. Her grandmother must have been the one to leave the tribe and marry.

"That is all you have to say?"

"What do you expect me to say?" she asked. She was surprised and had many questions, but she was still a representative of the Jedi and the Republic. It was hard to keep those two separate at the moment, but she was doing well.

"How you feel about this?"

"I would like to learn more," she admitted.

They all smiled. "Anything specific?" Aliri asked.

"I never knew anything about my past," she replied. "I am curious about that, and why this is so important." They had mentioned a prophecy, which meant there was probably a legend behind this, and she wandered if she was a part of it.

"So you believe us?" Another man asked.

"Should I have reason not to?" Siri asked, glancing from one Elder to another.

"No, of course not. I just excepted to get a fight from you." He smiled. "I am Jyrin."

Siri gave a small bow to him. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

He nodded his welcome. "You know, Siri is a tribal name."

"It is?" she asked. She had never thought much about the origin of her name. All she knew was that it was Corellian.

"It is. It means beautiful."

Siri smirked slightly at this, unable to stop herself. She had been told she was beautiful before, and she kept trying to hide it. It was ironic.

"It suits you." Aliri smiled. "You must stay here while we discuss their treaty with the tribe. Will you?"

"If that is your request, then yes." Once again, she was in the role of a Jedi.

"We would like to teach you about our way of life."

"I look forward to that." She would stay an extra day or two, but not much longer, because she knew that the Jedi would need her for another mission. There was never any time to rest.

"I look forward to it as well." Aliri said.

"Where would you like me to stay while you discuss this?" She did not want to appear rude by wandering away, but it could seem pushy to stand outside the hut.

"Well...do you like holos?" Aliri asked her.

"You have holos?" she asked. They were much more technologically advanced than they let on. She wondered if that was done on purpose.

"Of course. We have one playing right now. It's an older one, but that is what everyone wanted to watch. You can join them."

"Thank you. If you will just show me the way I will let you get back to your meeting."

Aliri nodded and walked with Siri to a nearby hut where several tribe members sat, watching a holo.

Siri paused outside of the hut. "If my grandmother truly was your sister, does that make us family?" she asked the woman. The Jedi were her only family, but she wondered if she could be considered family by the tribe. She was an adult now, and there was no need for her forming attachments like she would have as a child.

"It does." She smiled. "In our tribe we don't bother with such titles as mother-in-law or second grandmother. So you may call me just grandmother, if you wish. Aliri will do fine too."

"Grandmother," Siri smiled, never having used the name before. It felt a bit strange to say, but in a good way.

Aliri smiled as well. "Enjoy yourself."

"Thank you." She smiled and stepped inside the hut to join the others watching the holo.

After the meeting Aliri came to get Siri. They still had not made a decision and wished to take a vote among all the members of the tribe that night. This gave Siri time to discover about her tribe. "Our life is different. We do not force our people to stay in our tribe though. Many leave, many stay, many leave and come back. Every person is different. We don't seclude ourselves from the universe. We are just another part of it." Her grandmother explained.

Siri nodded, thinking this over, thinking how much it was like the Jedi Order. Jedi could leave if they chose, like Ferus had done, though not many made such a choice.

"We have technology just like the rest of the universe and use it, except for ones that deal with time. There are no chronos here. No calendars. We do not want to embrace the rush of the universe.

"How can you determine ages then?" Siri asked. They did not celebrate many birthdays as Jedi, though the thirteenth birthday was important.

"We know what year we are in and we track it that way. Although we have different birthdays, we all celebrate on one day and that is when our ages change."

"Oh? That must be wonderful."

"It is. You need to come."

"When is it?" she asked.

"It should be coming up soon."

Siri nodded. "If possible, I would like to come back for that. However, the galaxy is at war. That does not leave much time for celebrations."

"Even during war there should be celebrations."

"There should be, but that is not always possible." Siri could not remember the last time she had seen a celebration on any planet, since most of the places she had gone to were war zones.

"I understand."

"Thank you for your hospitality."

"You are family." She replied.

"It is still very kind of you," she answered. Aliri's explanation of family did not make much sense to her, since Siri had never experienced much in a traditional family setting.

"Did you think we would not be?"

"I am still a Jedi, and many feel uncomfortable around Jedi." That was true, even more so since the war had broken out. Many whispered about the Jedi losing their understanding of the Force and others claimed that the Jedi were just servants for Palpatine.

"We do not. We respect Jedi."

"Have many Jedi come here?" Siri asked, surprised because she had thought such information would have been part of her briefing.

"No, not many. A few of our people have been trained as Jedi though. We have not seen them again."

"Really? Who else?" Siri asked, wondering if she knew them.

"You would not know them, it was a long time ago, when I was a child."

"So there many are Force sensitive people here?" She had picked up on it, but it was hard to pick out just one signature when there was never just one tribe member without another.

"Yes. Many could have been Jedi but chose not to be."

"Why is that?"

"The Jedi life is full of missions and wars. Many do not want that life."

"We do it for others," Siri pointed out. She could understand why some would want to stay with their families, but she truly felt she was making a difference in the galaxy, doing her part to help those that could not help themselves.

"That is admirable, but many don't want that life."

"I can understand that." Sometimes she wondered how her life would be if had not become a Jedi. She was fairly certain every Jedi did at one point or another.

"Do you feel that way sometimes?"

"Everyone has questions and doubts. We just can't let them control us," she gave a Jedi like answer, not wanting to share everything that was on her mind.

"True." Aliri smiled. "Will you be joining us for the ceremony tonight?"

"What ceremony is tonight?"

"The voting ceremony."

"Of course," Siri nodded. She did not know they would have a ceremony for such a thing.

"We have ceremonies almost every night." She explained. "We celebrate everything."

"What other celebrations do you have?"

"Well, whenever we have visitors we celebrate, dinner is a celebration, and of course marriages."

"Of course," Siri nodded. "And tonight's is a celebration of the vote?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"I can honestly say that I wish the vote to go in favor of the treaty." She would not be able celebrate if they did not agree to the treaty. Then another treaty would have to be prepared and they would have to try to get both parties to agree to it.

"Perhaps it will." She smiled.

"What occurs at these ceremonies?" Siri asked. It was always wise to be prepared for anything to happen, and the more she knew, the more prepared she was.

"We dance and sing and eat. There is always a lot of food." She smiled. "And we offer sacrifices."

"Sacrifices? Like what?" Siri asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Animals, food. Things like that."

Siri just nodded. She did not approve of animal sacrifices, but she had learned a long time ago to let other have their traditions as long as no one was getting hurt. She had bit her tongue, even though she wanted nothing more to than stop the beings performing such a ceremony.

Siri was not going to say anything until Aliri continued. "At times human sacrifices."

This caused Siri to frown. "I can not allow a human sacrifice to occur." While she held herself back when concerning animals, she did draw the line at any sacrifices of sentiment beings.

"We rarely do those." She said.

"I just wanted you to be aware that while I am here, I will not allow a person to be killed, whether as a sacrifice or not."

"It is in our tradition."

"But you must understand that as Jedi, we are taught to value life above all else." She could not believe that all of these people would allow one of their own to be killed in a ceremony. It was sickening.

"We are taught that as well, but you must know that death cannot be prevented."

"If there is to be a sacrifice tonight, I can not allow it," Siri told her firmly, eyes flashing for a moment with intensity.

"There will not be. As I said, we rarely do those, only when the matter is serious. The last time we help a sacrifice the person that was given was very ill and if he had continued to live he would have infected us all. He asked us to sacrifice him to save him. We did so."

Siri just gave a nod. She did not agree, but she would not punish for an action that was in the past. She did not look at Aliri again though, taking a few deep, calming breaths.

"I did not mean to upset you." Aliri said.

"I just do not agree," she answered after a moment, when she was certain she could look at her again.

"I understand."

"Thank you. When does this ceremony start?"

"At sundown."

Siri looked through the trees and nodded. "Should I do anything to prepare?" As a Jedi, she had been a part of a number of ceremonies on host worlds.

"Well, would you like to wear some of our clothing?" Aliri offered. All the tribal members were wearing the same fabric, making Siri stand out from them.

Siri nodded. She had often worn clothing of other cultures on missions, and the clothing worn by the tribe was appropriate. "Thank you."

Aliri nodded and took Siri's arm, leading her through the village. The ceremony was occurring away from the huts so that the fire that was being started would not catch any of the buildings or trees on fire.

While she seemed to be looking around casually, Siri was taking note of many details about the village such as the number of huts and other structures she saw. Such information could be helpful later.

Siri was lead to a hut and was brought in. Aliri opened up a tall chest and brought a dress out, handing it to her. "Here."

"Are you sure?" she asked. It was a beautiful dress, she noticed that much. While she did not like dresses, she held back from saying it. She had agreed to wear it and would not back down.

"Of course." Aliri smiled handing it to Siri. "I will give you time to change." Aliri said, stepping out of the hut.

Siri changed into the dress, feeling a bit uncomfortable in it, since she did not like dresses. However, she was following tradition. She did put her belt back on over the dress though, so she could have her lightsaber close at hand as always. She folded her clothes and put them on top of a trunk in the room so she could get them later. She pulled on her boots then and stepped out of the hut seeing that it was almost sunset.

"Are you ready?" Aliri asked, approaching her.

Siri nodded. "Is the tribe meeting now?"

"Yes." Aliri nodded. "Come." She led Siri past the empty huts of the tribe and into the larger area that was packed with people. Music was being played and several tribe members were dancing to it.

Seeing this, Siri smiled. It was nice to see in a galaxy of war, that some being could still celebrate. Aliri led to where some were sitting. Siri was given an empty chair and sat down as she watched the ceremony continue on.

"Are you hungry?" Aliri asked.

"A little," she admitted. She had not eaten since that morning before she left for the tribe

Aliri left and returned with a plate of snack food for her including nuts, berries and fruits. "Here."

"Thank you," she smiled at her, helping herself to a piece of fruit. She took a bite and noticed how much more taste it had than the fruit on Coruscant. The fruit must have been picked just that day.

The music died. "Attention everyone." Aliri announced. "We have come here because there is a matter we need to discuss."

Most of the adult tribal members nodded in response to this, murmuring in agreement.

"Jedi Master Siri Tachi will explain everything."

Siri got to her feet at this and explained the proposal once again, as well as stressing the importance and how their vote could affect the entire planet, and possibly even the Republic.

"So we vote." One of the council members said. "All in favor." He slipped his hand up as a way to demonstrate. It took a while but soon more arms started to rise until almost all the beings in the crowd were raising their hands.

Siri smiled at this, letting out a sigh of relief. They had agreed to the treaty.

"Then it is done." Aliri said. "Now, we can celebrate." She smiled.

Feeling more lighthearted knowing the treaty would soon be signed, Siri was able to enjoy the celebration a bit more.

"Would you like to learn a dance?" A young woman asked Siri.

Siri hesitated for a moment before agreeing. Why not? It was a celebration and as she was reminded a number of times, this was her family.

The woman pulled Siri to the side and showed her several moves in the sequence they went in. Siri copied her, practicing them a few times until she was sure she could do them

Clapping her hands together as she moved the young woman stopped. "Is that too hard?" She asked Siri with a smile.

"I think I have it."

"You are doing well." She complimented.

"Thank you. Comes from training," she explained. "You learn things quickly." She had to learn lightsaber moves quickly and had to be agile. It had been a part of her training all of her life.

"I can see." She smiled.

Siri gave a small smile back as she continued dancing with them.

"Come on." The girl pulled Siri further into the crowd, close to a huge fire.

Siri pulled back slightly. She did not like fires ever since her family had been killed. Her sister had died from smoke inhalation and while she tried to forget things, she could never forget how the fire felt as the heat from it overpowered her while she tried to get to her sister.

"Are you alright?" The girl asked, seeing Siri pull away

"I just don't like large fires," Siri explained, not telling her why. It was too personal.

"I'm sorry," the girl apologized.

Siri shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Have fun." She was not going to stop this girl from enjoying herself. She slid away from the group of dancer and noticed that the young girl was following her.

"Would you like to get something to eat?" she offered

"I am fine, thank you," Siri replied.

"I am Anna." The girl held out her hand, which Siri took and shook.

"Nice to meet you. I am Siri."

"It's nice to meet you as well. You are a Jedi," she commented, glancing at Siri's lightsaber on her side before looking back up at her.

"Yes. I am."

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"Yes, because it means I can help others."

"That is a good thing to do," Anna remarked then paused before speaking again. "I have heard stories about the Jedi…about their power. You have such a gift?"

Siri nodded. "I have Force sensitivity, yes." It was clear that, like many others, this girl was interested in seeing

"So you have powers."

"You could call it that," Siri answered

"Can you show me?" Anna asked, hopeful.

"What would you like to see?" she asked.

"Anything." The girl clearly was excited by the chance to see what a Jedi was capable of doing.

Siri paused, looking around the area to see what was at her disposal. As she turned, her gaze fell on a large a rock. With just a brief movement of her hand, she was able to raise it in the air for a few moments before setting it down gently.

Anna grinned. "That is amazing. Will you do another trick?"

"Maybe after the ceremony," she replied. She did not like to show off with the Force. It was not to be used for parlor tricks.

Anna nodded. "Thank you."

"Come on, let's dance some more. We won't get near the fire." She assured Siri as she grabbed Siri's arm, pulling her back to the group of people.

Siri nodded and started to dance with the tribe.

The celebration continued into the night and Siri found herself enjoying it. She had not been able to feel so relaxed in a long time. Even without the fire, she felt warmer inside. She felt as if she had found something that had been missing, a family.


End file.
